May 2012 Archive

May 30th, 2012

I remember as a child, when I would ask for something, my parents would reply, “What’s the magic word?” I learned early on the beauty in graciousness and the possibilities created by a simple question. Now many moons (and “pleases”) later, I have learned the magic in words, but wonder how many of us are reluctant to ask the question.

They say, “Ask and you shall receive”. Sometimes it might sound like wishing on a star, but if you don’t ask you’ll never know.

It’s not just in seeking an answer to a question (or for me then as child, my favorite sugary cereal), asking applies to manifesting our hopes and dreams, inviting someone to go for a walk, or even requesting help in a yoga class.

Sometimes we are afraid to ask, as we fear the answer we might receive. In making the request, support finds its way to you. It may not come always as you expect it (or when you want it to), but trust and know that it will. Put forth your intention and lovingly hold space for the magic to happen.

May 28th, 2012

In 2006, Lindsey's son passed away in her arms from a rare pediatric liver disease. She was quickly blessed with another son, which was joyful, but also delayed processing her grief. Depression came later, with nervous breakdowns, hospitalizations and a host of medications. Her therapist prescribed a lesson in mindfulness - hot yoga. Instantly, Lindsey felt that this was something that could help heal all the parts of her that felt so broken.

After Lindsey had gotten into a consistent practice, she made the brave move to set up her mat in the front row of class – where the ‘yoga rockstars’ practiced. She went through sequences with a new sense of empowerment and dared herself to push farther. After class, another student stopped her and shared that Lindsey's performance had inspired her to try a pose she was afraid of. It brought tears to Lindsey's eyes, and face. In that moment she felt compelled to inspire more people to find their true potential, on and off the mat. She is now working on her 500 hour teacher training.

Yoga has taught Lindsey not to take anything too seriously. To find the fun, and to laugh in moments of intensity.

We loved learning about Lindsey - and we want to learn more about you!

May 21st, 2012

Sparky just got into his first side crow pose. After spending a weekend with Diamond Dallas Page and Arthur Boorman, he was really anxious to try it out. “I had a few minutes of down time in my office today, so I figured what the hell. It took me a couple of attempts, a face plant, a broken pair of glasses and a bloodied eye from said glasses. It was ugly, but I pulled it off. I had to; there was no way the floor and a pair of glasses were stopping me from hitting it!”

Sparky says he started yoga to replace the “deathstyle” he was living with a lifestyle that would heal his body and would last. Before starting DDPYoga, he was a lump on a couch. “You could have called me a father and a husband, but I was just a fat, lazy, uninspired person. Now I am a Daddy to my kid, a Partner to my wife, and someone who wants to see everyone else enjoy the same success in changing their lives that I have had. Everyone deserves to OWN THEIR LIFE!”

Now Sparky is determined to keep moving forward. He knows that it may be tough, it may take several attempts and a new pair of glasses, but he continuously challenges himself and refuses to quit.

May 16th, 2012

It’s 1998 for me. I know you’re looking at your calendar scratching your head. Yes, technically it is 2012, but sometimes we have to go backwards to move forward.

In the last 8 months, I’ve lost a parent and a grandparent, and have traveled the world to teach yoga. Though I had received an uppercut to the heart, I felt the need to keep moving, teaching, and exploring the frontiers outside of myself. I’ve been living the life of my dreams while enduring my worst nightmare. Now that I have finally been able to be still for more than 2 weeks in the same place (there really is no place like home), grief came rushing in like a tidal wave. I was swept up in the undertow, and left gasping for breath.

Humbly, I consider myself a dedicated yogi. I can quote the Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. I’ve studied the requisite books (and then some). I’m initiated into a lineage, and have a consistent meditation practice. What a lot of these books don’t tell you is that loss and sadness are isolating. Just as being a yogi can be. People speak in platitudes and clichés, ignore you all together (keeping a safe, emotional distance), or think that because you are a yogi, you must have it all figured out (if they only knew). In this big, beautiful yoga world you will find many a great article on how to open your heart chakra or perfect your inversions, but not much guidance on what to do when your heart is breaking.

I did the only thing I thought I could do, I withdrew. I went into my cave, ignoring my work, my loved ones, my life. My sadness and regrets weighing heavy on my heart, I cried for what felt like a lifetime. I contemplated quitting teaching and moving away. I felt frozen like Arjuna on the battlefield in his chariot. Do I run, or do I stay and fight?

Rather than being swallowed by it, I decided to sit with my shadow, exploring my inner landscape like a new world. The difference now was I couldn’t hop on an airplane to escape. I had to face my past. I had to love myself - warts and all.

Eventually, I unrolled my Manduka. Not solely in my home, as I had been already doing daily, but taking group classes around the city. Just as Arjuna had Krishna, I had my practice (and some really amazing and patient people in my life). Slowly I’ve been coming back into the world, embracing asana like I did in the early years on my mat. I’m remembering the passion I had for my teaching and my work (Yes, Manduka ambassadors, I am back).

I had to face what was behind and within me to begin to move onwards on my path. Sometimes, I still feel the pull to retreat into my cave, but it's walls aren’t as suffocating as before. I know that I will fumble and stumble as I navigate this new terrain, but in meeting my darkness, I am remembering my light once again.

My Manduka helps me practice hope. What does your Manduka help you practice?

May 14th, 2012

When Diane found out that she may be facing the end of her life, she learned what really mattered. Her family, friends and all the places where love existed. "Ultimately," she shared, "I’m pretty convinced that what matters most for 99% of the population is our relationships."

A cancer diagnosis brought Diane to the mat in new meaningful ways. With cancer comes vulnerability, and for a woman like Diane, who was used to being a source of strength and help for others, that can be the most challenging part. "When you have cancer, you get that opportunity to say, 'Okay, am I going to allow myself to be vulnerable, and let people help me?' But you come to this crossroads. And if you have cancer, you better let people help you! So you have to become vulnerable." She practiced letting go, and her most challenging pose, savansana, started to make sense. Then came the courage.

"It takes a lot of courage to run around without hair on your head. It takes a lot of courage to say, 'I’m scared out of my mind! And I might die.' But if you don’t do that, you’ve missed out." Now open, now accepting love, now healing in more ways than one.

Meeting Diane was a lightbulb moment: we need to meet you too. This is your community, and this is the YOU year. Manduka is on a mission to get to know everyone who makes this yoga community so vibrant, and so real. Because we all have something to learn from you — about how we see ourselves, or approach our practice, or make yoga mats.

May 9th, 2012

Sometimes it seems like a mother's heart couldn't be bigger, even when her support, balance and patience are thin. So we wanted to suggest another kind of gift for Mother's Day: the gift of yoga. Show her your gratitude by sharing the practice that helped you reveal it. After all, support, balance, and patience are much easier to come by on a supportive new mat or restorative bolster.

This month, our famous eQua Towels are also free when you order $150 or more (just use code PICKEDFRESH). You can also check out our Facebook Page for a collection of sharable e-cards that show love to your favorite mamas.

Even though we don't need a special reason to celebrate the amazing women who have shown us endless love and guidance, we'll take one anyway. Happy Mother's Day to all the yoga mamas.

Mamaste ;)

PS: See our Facebook Page for all of our sharable e-cards - a sneak peek below!

May 7th, 2012

Kyle started yoga when his mother-in-law offered him a scholarship to take as many classes and workshops as he wanted. After his very first savasana at Yoga Circle in Chicago, he had the inkling that his life had changed but didn’t quite know then where this “yoga” thing would take him.

He now takes his practice one breath at a time. Yoga has taught Kyle to be a strong masculine person who is not afraid to surrender to the present moment. He feels that yoga has even made him a better father.

These days, you can find Kyle downward dogging, tree-posing, and half-mooning on the same Black Mat PRO that he’s had for 7 years. When we asked Kyle how yoga had moved him, he simply replied “How has it not?”

May 4th, 2012

You may remember a few months ago when we unveiled our new partnership with John Friend and our first ever collection of wider Manduka yoga mats. A lot has happened since then (phew!), and we have decided to move away from the partnership. We respect John for his tremendous contributions to the yoga community, but we don't feel that his recent actions align with who we want to be in the world, or our brand values. Still, we stand behind our product and the reasons we built it. We believe that a wider yoga mat is the key to help many of our customers unlock a hidden piece of their practice. So we're offering our own version of the 30" PROlite mat so you can have the option of gear with more room to roam. And based on your feedback, you agree.

Our intention is to serve you in your yoga journey, and be there wherever you need the support. So whether your physical body needs more physical space, or you just like to wander, look out for our 30" PROlite wide yoga mat and upcoming additions to the Manduka Wide Collection.

May 2nd, 2012

We had a great time at Yoga Journal New York! Could it be true that for one weekend, it was 'the city that never sleeps, because there was so much yoga to take advantage of'? It was so awesome to meet Manduka fans, see familiar faces, and snap fun photos like these... because You Are a Masterpiece!